SHERMAN — By this point in the 2012 campaign for the 5th Congressional District, GOP candidate Andrew Roraback had spent $590,000 on television ads in his effort to defeat Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Esty.

By this point in the 2014 campaign for the same seat, GOP challenger Mark Greenberg had spent $500,000 on ads.

Today, less than three weeks before the Nov. 8 election, Clay Cope, the greater Danbury GOP’s hope to unseat Esty, has spent just $500 on video production.

That is because Cope has substantially less money than Greenberg and Roraback had in their campaigns.

On Thursday, the three-term first selectman of Sherman said he was OK with that.

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Campaigning with less

Republican challenger Clay Cope is running for the U.S. House of Representatives with substantially less money than Republican candidates had in 2014 and 2012 in their campaigns against Democrat Elizabeth Esty in the 5th District. Esty won in 2012 and 2014, and is seeking a third term.

Year

Democratic

candidate

Campaign

funds

Republican

candidate

Campaign

funds

2012

Elizabeth Esty

$3.3 million

Andrew Roraback

$1.6 million

2014

Elizabeth Esty

$2.95 million

Mark Greenberg

$2 million

2016*

Elizabeth Esty

$1.8 million

Clay Cope

$97,000

“In spite of the financial differences between Roraback and Greenberg and myself, I am just a very different candidate, with all due respect to those two fine gentlemen,” Cope said during an interview with the editorial board of The News-Times.

In contrast, Roraback raised $1.6 million in 2012 and Greenberg raised $2 million two years ago — in Greenberg’s case mostly through loans he made to his own campaign.

“This is not two years ago — the political climate has changed dramatically,” Cope said. “I don’t have the $1.8 million that Mrs. Esty has; however, what we do have is a very effective campaign in terms of how we are reaching out to voters using social media, which is the way quite a lot of campaigns are going these days.”

Cope’s campaign responded the same way in August when the fundraising disparity was first reported by The News-Times. His campaign manager said Cope was getting his message out effectively through emails, social media and word of mouth.

In August, Esty had raised $1.5 million to Cope’s $60,000.

“I am proud of the $100,000 we have raised,” Cope said Thursday. “Starting on Monday, we have a little video we taped, and that will be going out via social media.”

The leader of Connecticut Republicans said Thursday that Cope has the party’s full support.

“We help him with infrastructure and phone banking and introducing him to donors,” said J.R. Romano, the chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party.

“Money helps, but it is not the only factor, because the way we communicate has changed,” Romano said. “Today there are multiple ways to get the message out, and Clay is doing everything he can to do that.”

Cope agreed.

“I would love to have the kind of money Mrs. Esty has to put out mailers and say that I am the greatest thing ever, but I can’t do that,” said Cope. “Instead what I do is go around the district and I talk to voters and I remind them of the differences between Mrs. Esty and myself.”